Sanriku Railway

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Santetsu 36-700 series DMU

The Sanriku Railway (三陸鉄道, Sanriku Tetsudō) is a railway company in Iwate Prefecture in northern Japan. The company and its lines are also known as Santetsu (三鉄). The company was founded in 1981, as the first "third sector" (half public, half private) railway line in the country, excluding special cases such as freight railways in seaports. Its lines are former Japanese National Railways (JNR) lines, that were going to be closed. Santetsu acquired these lines in 1984. The company also operates a travel agency and other businesses.

Lines[]

Rias Line[]

Rias Line
大沢橋梁 - panoramio.jpg
A train crossing the Ōsawa Viaduct, September 2015
Overview
Native nameリアス線
StatusIn operation
OwnerSanriku Railway
LocaleIwate Prefecture
TerminiSakari
Kuji
Stations41
Service
TypeHeavy rail
Operator(s)Sanriku Railway
Rolling stockSanriku Railway 36 series DMU
History
OpenedFormer JR East Yamada Line joined with Kita-Rias and Minami-Rias Line on 23 March 2019 to make Rias Line
Technical
Line length163.0 km (101.3 mi)
Number of tracksEntire line single tracked
CharacterRural
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
ElectrificationNone
Operating speed90 km/h (56 mph)
Route map

Legend
Rias Line
km
Iwate Development Railway
&
0.0
 Sakari Ōfunato Line
JR East
Kesennuma Line
& Ōfunato Line
Iwate Development Railway
Sano tunnel
3.7
 Rikuzen-Akasaki
Ryōri tunnel
9.1
 Ryōri
9.8
(
closed
c.1992
)
2nd Shirahama tunnel
12.0
 Koishihama
Koishihama tunnel
14.3
 Horei
Horei tunnel
Tomari River
17.0
 Sanriku
Rasho tunnel
21.6
 Yoshihama
Hodai tunnel
Kumaki tunnel
27.7
 Tōni
Ishizuka tunnel
33.1
 Heita
Kamaishi tunnel
Owatari River (Kasshi River）
36.6
 Kamaishi
JR East Kamaishi Line
Kamaishi tunnel
3rd bridge
2nd Mizuumi River bridge
1st Mizuumi River bridge
3rd Mizuumi tunnel
2nd Mizuumi tunnel
1st Mizuumi tunnel
42.7
 Ryōishi
Koi no Toge tunnel
2nd Unosumai bridge
44.9
 Unosumai
1st Unosumai bridge
Katagishi bridge
Ōtsuchi tunnel
Kozuchi River
48.9
 Ōtsuchi
Ōtsuchi River bridge
Kirikiri tunnel
52.3
 Kirikiri
Namiita River bridge
54.1
 Namiitakaigan
3rd Osawa tunnel
2nd Osawa tunnel
1st Osawa tunnel
60.5
 Iwate-Funakoshi
Funakoshi tunnel
2nd plant tunnel
1st plant tunnel
2nd bridge
1st Orikasa River bridge
Orikasa tunnel
64.3
 Orikasa
65.5
 Rikuchū-Yamada
Yamada tunnel
bridge
Sekiguchi tunnel
Matsuri no kami tunnel
bridge
76.6
 Toyomane
bridge
80.7
 Haraigawa
82.8
 Tsugaruishi
88.2
 Yagisawa Miyakotandai
90.0
 Sokei
Sokei tunnel
Rasa Industries
Miyako factory dedicated line
bridge
(
closed
1984
)
92.0
 Miyako
JR East Yamada Line
Nagane tunnel
562
93.6
 Yamaguchi Danchi
Yamaguchi Danchi tunnel
137
2nd Yamaguchi tunnel
213
Saru-tōge
(Monkey Pass) tunnel
2,870
98.2
 Ichinowatari
Ichinowatari tunnel
2,245
1st Sabane tunnel
62
101.1
 Sabane
2nd Sabane tunnel
308
Horino tunnel
35
1st Shoko tunnel
43
2nd Shoko tunnel
169
Ainoyama tunnel
489
104.7
 Tarō
1st Taro tunnel
55
105.2
 Shin-Tarō
2nd Taro tunnel
255
3rd Taro tunnel
357
Masaki tunnel
6,532
113.5
 Settai
Settai tunnel
2,446
Omoto River
117.1
 Iwaizumi-Omoto
Omoto tunnel
5,174
Kiriushi tunnel
1,824
Hamako tunnel
529
125.6
 Shimanokoshi
Matsumae River
1st Shimanokoshi tunnel
216
Koikorobe bridge
2nd Shimanokoshi tunnel
723
Hirai tunnel
655
127.6
 Tanohata
Raga tunnel
1,271
Akito tunnel
140
Fudai tunnel
4,700
136.9
 Fudai
3rd power tunnel
862
2nd power tunnel
58
140.3
 Shiraikaigan
3rd Shirai tunnel
371
2nd Shirai tunnel
35
1st Shirai tunnel
1,540
Osawa bridge
Osawa tunnel
69
Hiroshi Mukai tunnel
180
Horinai tunnel
225
143.4
 Horinai
2nd Anke tunnel
381
Akegawa bridge
1st Anke tunnel
687
Zenigami tunnel
191
Sekimon tunnel
510
147.9
 Noda-Tamagawa
Tamagawa tunnel
222
Yoneda tunnel
300
Tofugaura tunnel
290
149.6
 Tofugaura-Kaigan
149.6
(1986-94)
151.9
 Rikuchū-Noda
155.3
 Rikuchū-Ube
Ube tunnel
887
Nagauchi River
163.0
 Kuji
JR East Hachinohe Line
km
length
in m
This diagram:
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Line map
Red:Kita-Riasu Line
Blue:Minami-Riasu Line

Station list[]

Station Distance
(km) 		Transfers Location
Name Japanese Between
Stations 		Total
Sakari 盛 - 0.0 ■ Ōfunato Line BRT service Ōfunato, Iwate
Rikuzen-Akasaki 陸前赤崎 3.7 3.7
Ryōri 綾里 5.4 9.1
Koishihama 恋し浜 2.9 12.0
Horei 甫嶺 2.3 14.3
Sanriku 三陸 2.7 17.0
Yoshihama 吉浜 4.6 21.6
Tōni 唐丹 6.1 27.7 Kamaishi, Iwate
Heita 平田 5.4 33.1
Kamaishi 釜石 3.5 36.6 ■ Kamaishi Line
Ryōishi 両石 6.1 42.7
Unosumai 鵜住居 2.2 44.9
Ōtsuchi 大槌 4.0 48.9 Ōtsuchi, Iwate
Kirikiri 吉里吉里 3.4 52.3
Namiita-Kaigan 浪板海岸 1.8 54.1
Iwate-Funakoshi 岩手船越 6.4 60.5 Yamada, Iwate
Orikasa 織笠 3.8 63.3
Rikuchū-Yamada 陸中山田 1.2 65.5
Toyomane 豊間根 11.1 76.6
Haraigawa 払川 4.1 80.7 Miyako, Iwate
Tsugaruishi 津軽石 2.1 82.8
Yagisawa Miyakotandai 八木沢・宮古短大駅 5.4 88.2
Sokei 磯鶏 1.8 90.0
Miyako 宮古 2.0 92.0 ■ Yamada Line
Yamaguchi Danchi 山口団地 1.6 93.6
Ichinowatari 一の渡 4.6 98.2
Sabane 佐羽根 2.9 101.1
Tarō 田老 3.6 104.7
Shin-Tarō 新田老 0.5 105.2
Settai 摂待 8.3 113.5
Iwaizumi-Omoto 岩泉小本 3.6 117.1 Iwaizumi, Iwate
Shimanokoshi 島越 8.5 125.6 Tanohata, Iwate
Tanohata 田野畑 2.0 127.6
Fudai 普代 9.3 136.9 Fudai, Iwate
Shiraikaigan 白井海岸 3.4 140.3
Horinai 堀内 3.1 143.4
Noda-Tamagawa 野田玉川 4.5 147.9 Noda, Iwate
Tofugaura-Kaigan 十府ヶ浦海岸 1.7 149.6
Rikuchū-Noda 陸中野田 2.3 151.9
Rikuchū-Ube 陸中宇部 3.4 155.3 Kuji, Iwate
Kuji 久慈 7.7 163.0 ■ Hachinohe Line

History[]

Kita-Rias Line[]

The Japanese National Railways (JNR) opened the Miyako to Taro section in 1972 and the Kuji to Fudai section in 1975. It constructed the Taro to Fudai section, and transferred the entire line to Sanriku on the day it opened in 1984. The line features 42 tunnels, including the Masaki (6,532 m) and Omoto (5,174 m) tunnels, both opened in 1984.

Minami-Rias Line[]

JNR opened the Sakari to Ryori section in 1970, extending the line to Yoshihama in 1973. It constructed the section to Kamaishi and transferred the entire line to Sanriku on the day it opened in 1984. The line features 20 tunnels.[citation needed]

2011 earthquake and tsunami damage[]

Both lines were heavily damaged by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[1] The two lines suffered damage at 300 locations, including damage to station buildings and bridges. The tsunami washed away 5.8 km of railway tracks on the lines. Full restoration of service on the lines was completed in April 2014.[2]

Diesel railcars damaged by the earthquake and tsunami were replaced by three new diesel railcars funded by Kuwait. The new cars were introduced in January 2014.[3]

The two sections of the Sanriku Railway were for a long time separated by a destroyed segment of the Yamada Line.

On 23 March 2019, the Yamada Line section from Miyako to Kamaishi was reopened and transferred to Sanriku Railway. This joined up with the Kita-Rias Line on one side and the Minami-Rias Line on the other, which together constitutes the entire Rias Line restored. The result is a resumption of continuous rail service between Kuji and Sakari Station where it links with the Ōfunato Line.[4][5]

Typhoon Hagibis damage[]

Following the Typhoon Hagibis in 2019 which caused further damage to the railway, the operator Sanriku Railway Co,.Ltd. have received around ￥40 million in donations to help with repairs.[6]

See also[]

References[]

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia.

  1. ^ [1][dead link]
  2. ^ "Tsunami-hit Sanriku line fully operational". The Japan Times. 5 April 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  3. ^ 三陸鉄道、新車両3両投入へ [Sanriku Railway to introduce 3 new cars]. Tetsudo.com (in Japanese). Japan: Asahi Interactive. 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  4. ^ 三陸鉄道はいま、ひとつにつながるリアス線 (in Japanese). Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  5. ^ 東日本大震災 復興鉄路つながった　８年ぶり宮古－釜石、三陸鉄道に [Great East Japan Earthquake Railway have been rebuilt and connected after 8 years reconstruction between Miyako-Kamaishi, Sanriku Railway]. mainichi.jp (in Japanese). Japan: The Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd. 23 March 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  6. ^ "Sanriku Railway, icon of 3/11 recovery, back to full service after typhoon". The Japan Times. 20 March 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2021.

External links[]

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